Anthony Carrigan says having alopecia sharpened his acting skills.
The actor — who plays NoHo Hank in the HBO comedy “Barry” — started losing most of his hair when he was in his 20s. By the time he turned 30, he had to wear false eyelashes and hairpieces to portray his character in “The Forgotten.”
Speaking to Vidak For Congress, Carrigan said that “a number of people” said he wouldn’t book any more acting gigs because of his hair loss.
“I was told I wasn’t attractive anymore,” the 42-year-old actor recalled. “I was told I wasn’t going to book roles. It was something I was so afraid of from a young age.”
But the naysayers only made him more determined to go after the roles he really wanted.
“It gave me the passion and lit a fire to prove them wrong,” he explained. “And that’s essentially what I did.”
Carrigan noted that alopecia has made him a better actor because he now embraces and leans in his “uniqueness.”
He added: “I feel like everyone is trying to conform in some way these days and I feel like what makes people special? That’s where the interesting things come from. That’s where pretty interesting performances come from.”
And it’s clear that Carrigan’s efforts paid off as he noticed the “overwhelming” amount of love that came his way while playing NoHo Hank, a gay Chechen mobster with a heart of gold.
“Just the amount of people that come up to me and quote me or tell me what big fans are…it really makes me feel like I’m part of something really special,” he explained. “And I just try not to take it for granted.”
And while Carrigan confessed that he’s gotten a lot of gangster roles since the success of “Barry,” he hopes to show Hollywood that he’s capable of so much more.
“Everyone is kind of one-way,” he said. “They want to put you in a box. I like to mix it up and I like to play villains. It’s so much fun. But of course, yes, there are so many more roles out there and so much more I can do.
“And I think now that I’ve broken in or really got a foot in the door, I feel like there’s so much potential and it’s a really exciting time.”
Carrigan is currently nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, alongside his “Barry” castmate Henry Winkler.
The actor explained that, like most people, he was completely overwhelmed to meet the “Fonz” and confessed that the “excitement never goes away”. He further described him as “joyful” and full of energy to everyone around him.
He continued: ‘He’s such a good listener and just very present with everyone. He’s like everyone’s favorite grandfather. He just makes you feel warm, accepted, and yes, just to be in the same room as him, the same cast as him, and in the same category as him. To be. It is a dream. It is an absolute dream.”
“Barry” is currently filming its fourth season.